Roar Rookie
Joined August 2017
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Loves to pull out the back, chop low and jam hard. And gardening.
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With each new generation of Australian Rugby leadership ushered in, the hope of rugby fans nation wide is momentarily ignited, before of course the…
Rugby fans young and old, weathered and wishful, rejoiced nation wide upon the announcement of the return of the Messiah. Joseph Suaalii, a rugby…
As the dust settles on an exhilarating and dramatic Autumn Nations series that offered upsets to ruin weekends around the world - and highlights…
For too long the Wallabies have lived under the narrative of a rebuilding team. They have dreamt of all the things that they could…
On Saturday, 24 April, two of Sydney’s elite all-male private schools, Knox Grammar School and St Joseph's College, ventured deep into what can’t exactly…
At the risk of telling the same story that billions of Aussie rugby fans have told the morning after a big Wallabies loss at…
Amid the chaos of Australian Super Rugby teams scoring two wins from 25 matches against their Kiwi counterparts in the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman series…
Everywhere I look in Australian sports media is negative rhetoric surrounding the state of our great, diverse, globally prevalent and – most importantly –…
As an Australian rugby fan, it seems that these days the focus is on the blight of the game at the professional level, the…
After the decision was made to reduce Australian Super Rugby sides to a count of four, and to cut the Western Force, it's safe…
This is the third article for The Roar I've written in two years, on my third account, because I forgot the username and password…
Interesting stuff! Good to hear your side of the story.
“I have yet to see any responsibility taken by Penrith and/or Parramatta for the mess in which they find themselves and, like it or not (and I realise it’s an unpopular topic), there is a large measure of responsibility from both clubs which should be taken. ”
Any more details on what they should be taking responsibility for and / or things they could have done differently? From an on or off field perspective?
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
Does grass roots not include Amateur clubs (mens / womens) also? Does the focus on exclusively schools and juniors place more emphasis on talent pipelines from school leavers and U20s and less on “late bloomers” through the club competition such as your Scott Fardys for instance?
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
Interesting: looks like we need a clear distinction between what does and does not constitute as grassroots.
I also believe that an NRC would be far more important than the Shute Shield for aussie rugby.
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
Wow, interesting, I hadn’t heard. That’s big
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
Was not aware. Canberra’s a big town with a good handful of decent sides. Some of these canberra based clubs sometimes play trials against some of the SS teams.
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
AFL does it in an interesting way in Sydney from what I’ve seen. Clubs have heaps more teams like UNSW for example has 6 teams. The bottom 4 are pretty much subbies div 1-4 and the top 2 are pretty much Shute shield
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
So what if the NRC was our premier domestic comp? With all the funds and resources that would’ve been used for super rugby? Roughly 8 local teams:
Effectively the five current Super teams:
Sydney (Tahs)
Brisbane (Reds)
Canberra (Brums)
Rebels
Force
And then probably 3 more non capital city teams to start off with:
Western Sydney
NSW Country
QLD Country
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
With this one I’m not sure I’m fully sold on the idea of the Western Sydney franchise.
Even at NRC level the “Greater West” team got the flick I believe.
I think that expansion into other states (WA, VIC) may’ve been more important than expansion into Western Sydney. But hey would love to have seen how it would’ve gone in a parallel universe where the Western Force was set up in Western Sydney.
I’d have to say that they’d be my pick for a Sixth Aussie team however.
This is where I wish Southern Hemisphere Rugby was in a tiered / division based structure where new teams could enter the comp at a lower tier, gain strength by finding their feet in their early days and earn their right to play in the top div. Less cricket scores, less disillusioned players, less bombed franchises.
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
The tough one for me was 2019 I think where the rebs with their all star lineup from the Force’s leftovers, plus their own decent cattle, with Genia and Cooper and promising coach wessels, produced one of the most underwhelming seasons of all time.
But then again we’re talking about building community and culture to grow the game and produce long term on field success.
Perhaps I’m naive but I personally don’t put the Rebs in the same league as Force, and Reds who do a lot of community stuff, but would be keen to hear your thoughts on some of their approaches.
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
Sure is, pretty sure Nic White is from Campbelltown or at least went to school there.
I reckon the last areas in NSW where Rugby can win the race would have to be the central west. League and particularly the Panthers sniffing around there should really have Rugby worried.
Strong comps in a number of regional centres such as Illawarra and Hunter too. A guy who commented above is from the Far North coast where there’s also a comp with I believe 10 or more sides.
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
So do you think the players in the social grades should be diluted amongst the subbies competition while the SS retains only a First and maybe Second grade?
The clubs themselves are still entities with fans, community, history and more. Removing lower grades and even juniors could really sterilise the competition. Lower grades bring a lot of support on game day and are just as much a part of the club culture as the first grade side, just like at any side in a subbies, central west, illawarra comp, etc.
Tricky one
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
Well just like any other sports comp, should an overarching body (SRU???) place a salary cap limit? However, of course some clubs are more affluent than others how is the problem of the lower clubs not having as much disposable income going to be solved?
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
Run by smart people too. Embarrassing for our game
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
“Trouble is the people controlling the elitist closed shop don’t want to change” pretty much bang on. What can we do though… Really says it all how unprofessional the game is that there isn’t enough authority from a centralised overarching body to take control of the spoilt kids…
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
The Shute Shield is the highest level of club rugby in Sydney and players are semi – pro; those at the big clubs receive match payments.
Each club has a number of grades and U21s sides, as well as junior programs that compete at a tournament over the June long weekend.
After 1992 Shute Shield “Division 2” split from the Shute shield into a separate competition, the Sydney Suburban comp.
Subbies is a separate competition and at a junior level the Subbies clubs act as feeder clubs to the Shute Shield clubs.
Historically teams have been promoted and relegated from the SS although it hasn’t been done for years now, with clubs like Illawarra and Canberra being removed from the competition in the early 2000s. In 1995 Drummoyne were dropped from the Sydney (now NSWRU) premiership and Canberra, Newcastle and Penrith were added.
I have often thought about them being considered all one competition with a number of divisions before but it’s a really open ended discussion.
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
Yeah fair point although this article isn’t really a knock at the schools at all, it’s a knock at the handling of the Penrith situation and the direction of the game and efforts to support and grow the game at grass roots level in the state. But overall I tend to agree. What would you change from a RA point of view?
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
No one’s arguing with that. I just don’t believe it means Rugby should give up on these areas, just as soccer, AFL, etc. didn’t.
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
Love that. How are you liking the comp and the culture up there? Are you seeing a lot of unity between juniors and seniors on game day?
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
Sadly…
I also think the Force are a great example of a sustained effort into building a community, culture and fanbase. I’d love hear the thoughts from some locals on the state of the local competition.
Wallabies currently parked up in Perth and seem to be connecting with the fans at a number of clubs really well.
Talking about the Tahs and NSW is pretty draining and as we all know they’re not exactly the epicenter of world rugby. Guys like the Force and probably the Reds as well give us a bit of hope.
Rugby in New South Wales must adapt or die
Probably just getting some game time in
WILL GENIA: Why I'm impressed with Rennie, and how we shape up against All Blacks
If O’Connor’s back, might he wind back the clock at 15?
9. McDermott
10. Cooper
11. Koroibete
12. Kerevi
13. Hodge
14. Kellaway
15. O’Connor
Or in his 2019 role at 13:
9. McDermott
10. Cooper
11. Koroibete
12. Kerevi
13. O’Connor
14. Kellaway
15. Banks
The band is getting back together
Can Quade and Samu wind back the clock for the Wallabies?